Mei
by Pie-Kun
Summary: When Ritsuka arrives at his new school, he meets a boy that seems...different. Could he be the key to Ritsuka's survival in his new home and his old life?
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note: Hi there! This is obviously a Loveless fanfic, but the pairing is between Ritsuka and an original character. I usually don't do original characters (what am I talking about? This is my first fanfic!) but I really don't think any of the characters really 'go' with him. Well, the male ones anyways.

Anyways! Like I said before, this is my first fanfiction ever, so please Read and Review to tell me what I did right/wrong. With that in mind, enjoy!

The first beams of the hazy sun glared down upon Ritsuka Aoyagi as he walked down the stairs and out of his home. He had a feeling of impending dread as he made his way to his new school, his hair fluttering slightly in the fall wind. It was November, yet the leaves still hung proudly on the trees, almost taunting nature with their bold green colors.

It was 6:00AM, the sun had already filled up the sky and the last glimmers of night were quickly fluttering away. Even now, Ritsuka could feel the sweat form on his forehead, the result of the out-of-season heat wave that had been hitting Tokyo for its second week. He didn't mind however, he preferred the heat and was quite comfortable in his sky-blue long sleeve shirt and black pants. It was the cold that he couldn't stand, the way the icy wind would bring a thousand dull knives to strike any part of his body that he had not managed to cover up. The thought made Ritsuka shiver, and he shook his head, dissolving the thoughts that plagued his mind.

He quickly made his way down the street, his feet pattering softly against the pavement below him. It was only now that he noticed the lack of activity around him. There were no cars rushing onto the roadway while their drivers mindlessly talked on their phones, starting work before they even got to the office. So this was the suburbs.

Within a few minutes he had already made his way to the front gate of the school. Ritsuka checked his watch, which bluntly displayed the time of 6:12. His mind quickly raced to think of ways to kill the 18 minutes. Going into the school wasn't an option. If he ran into his teacher, he would be forced into a long, awkward discussion with the teacher asking questions she really didn't care to know the answer to.

With nothing else to do, he rested himself against a nearby wall and shut his eyes, enjoying the silence that came with early morning. He soon found his mind wandering, thinking about what he always thought about; as if it would somehow provide him with new information.

The silence and his thoughts were broken by the high pitched squeaking of a young girl's voice.

"Yayoi-kun, you really shouldn't walk me to school everyday" the girl said, an obvious annoyance in her voice.

"Ha! And let a pretty young lady walk by herself in this cruel, cruel city? I think not!" Said the boy standing next to her, straining himselfas he flexed his muscles

The pink-haired girl responded dully

"First off, we live in the suburbs, and my house is right down the street. Secondly-"She paused for a moment to bend down "You're shorter than me."

The boy she called Yayoi was about to respond when the pink haired girl looked toward Ritsuka, stopping in her tracks. Her eyes widened and she turned to Yayoi.

"That must be the new transfer student!" she exclaimed squealing excitedly.

Yayoi looked at her, confused.

"Where?"

Ritsuka quickly moved out of their sight The last thing he wantedwas some annoying girl bothering him, he shuttered in pain and covered his ears as he heard the sound of her squealing once again.

"HE WAS JUST HERE, I SAW HIM! I'M NOT CRAZY, HE WAS RIGHT THERE!" She yelled madly, shaking Yayoi by the shirt and pointing.

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The loud clanging of the bell drew groans from the student body as they begrudgingly made their way toward class. Ritsuka did not take the order from the bell however; he was in the teacher's lounge with Hitomi, his apparent new teacher.

-"Okay Ritsuka, are you ready to meet your new classmates?" Hitomi said cheerfully, her cat ears perking up. Ritsuka found it strange that a teacher would still have her ears and tail, though he didn't let his mind dwell on it. Those kinds of things did not interest him.

"Yeah" Ritsuka mumbled, poorly feigning intrest as he stood up and followed Hitomi to his new classroom.

Inside, the classroom was buzzing with activity. A thousand conversations were going on at once, Gossip about celebrities, girls giggling over pictures of their favorite singer, and rumors that were traveling about the school. A typical simian classroom, Ritsuka thought.

"Quiet everyone, please!" Hitomi said as she walked in. Many students still talked away, and she had to repeat herself three times before the room grew steadily quiet and she rested her hands on the table, satisfied.

She walked over to the chalkboard, promptly wrote "Ritsuka Aoyagi" and turned around swiftly.

"Everyone, this is our new student. His name is Ritsuka, please be kind to him." She paused "Ritsuka, would you like to share anything about yourself to-"

"No." He stated, already making his way to his designated seat while avoiding the peering eyes of his classmates

"Um…uh…ok! Well, today we will be studying some new kanji. Everyone please open your textbooks to…"

Ritsuka sat at his desk, setting his bag down and looked at the chalkboard. He had just opened his textbook when he heard a voice to the left of him.

"Hey, what's your cell phone number?" He turned to see the same pink haired girl from earlier staring him down. He gitted his teeth and looked away.

"None of your business." Ritsuka whispered coldly, staring down at his textbook.

"Huh? Hey come on, I'm trying to be nice like Hitomi-Sensei said. My name's Yuiko, I want to be friends." She smiled.

"I don't, leave me alone."

"Hey, why are you being such a jerk?!" She stood up, yelling quite loudly, until she realized what she was doing.

"Yuiko-kun, please sit down" Scolded Hitomi, a little flustered at the interruption.

"Oh! Um…Sorry Hitomi-sensei." Yuiko muttered, blushing.

The next few hours went by without incident, Ritsuka mildly paid attention to Hitomi as her hand would dance around the chalkboard, while most of his mind was on other things. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Yuiko shooting him dirty looks, and making obscene gestures towards him to the utter delight of the girls next to her, though he really didn't care.

"Ok, Satoshi-kun, would you read the next-" Hitomi was suddenly cut off by the loud clanging of the lunch bell, the students rejoicing as if they had just been rescued from a labor camp.

"Oh dear…everyone, please remember where we were! Uh…Ritsuka and Yuiko, I'd like you to see you outside for a moment!"

Ritsuka groaned, and waited for a moment,until Yuiko was a little ahead of him, then stood up and walked outside the classroom. Hitomi wasted no time in getting to the point.

"What was that sudden outburst about?"

"It's his fault! He was being such a jerk to me, all I wanted to do was be his friend and he was all 'I don't wanna'" Yuiko shouted, doing an exaggerated impression of Ritsuka.

Hitomi put her hand up to cease Yuiko.

"Now now, it doesn't matter whose fault it is. This is Ritsuka's first day at his new school, and he shouldn't be making any enemies. I want you two to sit together at lunch today and work out your problems. I'm sure you could even become fast friends, so eat together, just for today, alright?" Hitomi said cheerfully, her tail twitching and her hands clamped together.

"Fine" Ritsuka stated coldly, inwardly rolling his eyes and having the urge to curse her and Yuiko.

Yuiko however, seemed very excited about her new lunchmate.

"Come on, Ritsuka! I know a good spot we can sit at. It has just the right amount of sunlight and…" She shouted, forcing Ritsuka by his hand.

Hitomi laughed and inwardly smiled. If there was one thing she could do right, it was teaching. Even if she never found a husband, she would always have her students. That thought suddenly made her stomach drop.

Yuiko hummed to herself as she took two wayward desks and put them together by the window, where several beams of sun were shining through.- She sat down in the one nearest to her, and motioned for Ritsuka to sit in the other. He sighed and hesitantly sat down.

Yuiko happily pulled out her lunch, and unfolded the cloth from it, her mouth watering at the sudden smell that emitted from the box. She moved her head up to see what Ritsuka had brought, intending to sample it.

"Eh? Where's your lunch Ritsuka-kun?"

"I didn't bring one."

"Aha, looks like Mr. I'm-so-cool slept in today huh?"

"No, I don't eat lunch"

Yuiko opened her mouth to respond, but stopped herself. She was just happy to be eating lunch with such a cutie. She smiled evilly to herself, knowing she would be the envy of all the girls.

Ritsuka, on the other hand, was quite annoyed. He would much rather be sitting by himself. He knew now that he had to keep from making anyone upset, Hitomi-sensei was the kind of teacher who wanted all her students to get along. He looked around the room as Yuiko made small talk. He hadn't had the chance to look at all the students, but they were what he expected. As his eyes drifted across the room, he saw girls swapping magazines, makeup, and CDs, mindlessly giggling about nothing, and boys playing card games, reading mangas, and hitting each other. What else could he expect.

Ritsukas eyes wandered into a corner, where he saw a peculiar sight. There was a strange boy sitting by himself. He was the only person sitting by himself, in fact. His hair was a dark blue color, almost black, it was a bit shorter than Ritsuka's but was not as messy. He had a black shirt, pattered with a continuous square design, with tan shorts that went a little past his knees. His eyes were perhaps the most entrancing trait of him; they were blue, but much lighter than his hair. It seemed to Ritsuka that he could look into them forever. The boy was eating small bites of his lunch, which looked tasty compared to the other students store bought lunches, and had a look of nervous fear on his face, as if someone might suddenly attack him for no reason.

"…And Shion says it was Utada Hikaru but I think she-"

"Yuiko, who is that boy over there?" Ritsuka inquired, interrupting Yuiko's insanely boring story.

"Eh? In the corner? His name's….Mei? I think so anyways. Why do you wanna know?"

"He's eating by himself."

"Yeah, he always does. I dunno what it is with that kid, he's pretty weird"

"How so?"

"Well, whenever Hitomi-sensei calls on him to read, he reads every word perfectly ithout messing up. But if you try to talk to him, he gets all nervous and all quiet and stuff. Oh and-" she sputtered out why stuffing food in her mouth "Asuka says she say him at the park really late one night when she was coming home from vacation."

Ritsuka was about to respond when the bell rang painfully in his ear, causinga slight buzzing in his left ear.

"Ok everyone, desks back into place please! Open your textbooks back up; we need to finish this story." Hitomi chimed as the class hesitantly struggled to get the room back in order, killing as much time as possible.

When the seats where back in their proper place, Ritsuka looked around to see where Mei's seat was. After a minute he found him two rows and a few seats back from him. He didn't know what he found interesting in the boy. Perhaps it was the fact that he didn't act like a typical student, he seemed similar to Ritsuka in that respect.

Throughout the day Ritsuka's thoughts would drift to Mei, he found it quite strange, he didn't know him at all, he hadn't even talked to him. Yet that sense of familiarity seemed to draw Ritsuka.

"He rested his head on the pillow and drifted off to sleep." A student named Yuki hurriedly read and finished with a large sigh of relief from the whole class.

"See class? Wasn't that a wonderful story? Oh, and we finished right before the bell rang!" A few seconds later, as Hitomi predicted, the bell rang and the students rushed the door as if a bomb were about to go off.

"Please don't forget to do the questions on the story! Have a good day!" Hitomi shouted after the kids, most of them not paying attention to her, continuing their conversations from lunch.

Ritsuka lingered outside for a few minutes, not really sure what he wanted to do. He juggled several options in his mind; he could really do whatever he wanted to, his mother never cared; in fact they never talked much at all. She always made sure to eat dinner at a different time than Ritsuka, and she would go out or lock herself in her room the rest of the day.

Ultimately, he decided to go to the park across the street, it seemed quiet, and he had brought his camera with him. He had just started to walk when he felt something grab his arm.

Ritsuka immediately turned around and threw the arm off him. He said nothing, but glared at the silver haired man who had grabbed him.

"Hello, Ritsuka. You took your time coming out."

"You know my name? Who the hell are you?"

"Soubi"

"And what kind of business do you have with me? I don't know any adults."

"I'm a friend of Seimei's"

The statement struck Ritsuka like a bullet. A friend of Seimei's? Was it possible? He studied the man more carefully now. He had his long silver hair in a pony tail, with a few pieces hanging on his forehead. His glasses made him look very intellectual, and he was wearing very elaborate clothing, like somebody on TV or something. Could he really know his murdered brother? His age seemed right, and it was true that he didn't know many of Seimei's friends.

"Of Seimei you said?"

"Yes, your brother. He talked a lot about you, Ritsuka."

Ritsuka felt a sudden warmth toward him. Being around one of Seimei's friends made Ritsuka feel close to him again..

"Um…Soubi, would you like to take some pictures with me?" He muttered, not really thinking. He just wanted to extend this feeling.

"I would love to, Ritsuka"

Ritsuka smiled and led Soubi to the park across the street. It was strange that he felt so close to him, even though he barely knew him. They took several pictures in almost every part of the park and played in the scarce fallen leaves from the trees. He really felt like he was with his brother again.

"Ritsuka, let's go sit over there and look at the pictures we took." Soubi said, pointing to some nearby tables.

Soubi cleared off the nearest table and sat down, Ritsuka following.

"They all turned out really well, this lighting out here is perfect" Ritsuka smiled, flipping through the pictures of his digital camera. He suddenly felt warmth on his hand. He looked up to see that Soubi had taken his hand.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything" Soubi said, smirking at him.

"Um…ok" Ritsuka mumbled, going back to the camera. He began marking his favorite ones so he could print them out when he got home. Suddenly, without warning, he was pulled toward Soubi, who moved his head in to capture a kiss. His lips getting closer and closer until…

Ritsuka suddenly pushed him off and stepped away from the table.

"You…you said you wouldn't do anything."

"I love you, Ritsuka."

The sudden, random statement took Ritsuka aback, and he suddenly became very confused, angry, and most of all betrayed.

"I don't know who you are, but no friend of Seimei would ever do something like THAT!"

Soubi stepped toward him.

"Ritsuka, please understand…"

"Don't come near me!" Ritsuka shouted, running away from the park, away from these bad memories.

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It was that time of evening now, where the sun had gone past the mountains but a few stray sunbeams leapt out to provide a few more moments of light before the night came.

"I can't believe I let that guy trick me. What kind of adult tries to kiss a little kid, and then says he loves him?" Ritsuka thought to himself, his footsteps becoming heavier to vent his anger.

He had just reached the edge of the park when he saw a boy standing on a bridge, looking down toward the small creek. It was Mei, the strange boy he had seen in the classroom. There was something different about him now, his eyes were very red and he had a reasonably sized bruise on his cheek.

Ritsuka walked onto the bridge, curious.

"Um, you're Mei-kun right?"

Mei jumped a little, staring at him frightfully.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm Ritsuka, we're in the same class together."

"Um…yeah! You're the transfer student right? I…I'm sorry I got so scared…I guess it's the night"

"It was my fault" Ritsuka smiled. "Your names Mei, right?" He asked again.

"Y..Yeah, Mei Otsuka."

"Are you ok? You look like you've been crying, and you have a bruise on your face." What was going on? Ritsuka never acted like this on instinct.

Mei blushed, and started stumbling over his words.

"Oh! Um…yeah I tripped on the way over, and it…it hurt a lot so I started crying…I guess I should start growing out of things like that."

"Let me look at it" Ritsuka said, stepping forward. Mei looked at him suspiciously, but eventually let his guard down and lifted his face towards him.

Ritsuka ran his hand gently over the bruise, not really sure what he was even looking for. He did notice one thing however.

"Your skin is so soft." Ritsuka laughed. Mei's face turned slightly red, and he turned away

"Does it look ok?"

"Yeah, it should go away in a few days."

"Thanks"

Ritsuka felt a warmth with Mei, but not the same as he had with Soubi. That was feelings of closeness with someone he hadn't seen in a long time. This was…different.

"Hey Mei, would you like to take some pictures or something? I'm not going home for a while."

Mei seemed a little taken aback by this, once again looking at Ritsuka with a suspicious eye.

"You…you wanna take pictures with me?"

"Yeah, or whatever else. As long as you want to."

"Oh…Ok, that sounds fun" Mei smilied at him and they walked across the bridge, back towards the large park.

They didn't have to walk far, the area around them was a beautiful place to take pictures. The creek was surrounded by so many trees that one could mistake it for a forest, especially in a picture. Mei was a little nervous at first, but as time went on, and they started talking more, he opened up to Ritsuka, and even started smiling and laughing. Before either of them knew it, it was nearing midnight.

"Oh, Ritsuka do you have the time?" Mei inquired while they walked toward the houses.

Ritsuka glanced at the dim light of his cell phone

"10:30…it's pretty late, I should head home."

"Yeah, me too, I haven't even started those questions yet" Mei laughed.

"I'll walk you home then"

Once again, Mei was taken aback by this sudden statement.

"You…don't have to do that Ritsuka, I've walked home by myself before…"

Ritsuka smiled at him.

"I want to. We can't be friends if we don't know where we live can we?"

It was time for Ritsuka to be taken aback by his own statement. Friends? When had he considered Mei a 'friend'? In his own mind he shrugged it off, Mei wasn't like the other kids in his class anyways, so there was nothing to worry about.

In Mei's mind, it was perhaps the happiest moment in his recent life. He had finally found someone he could open up to without feeling nervous or embarrassed. Maybe his luck would change after all.

In a few short moments they arrived at Mei's house, a modest two story building that looked like all the others around it. There was no car in the driveway.

"Oh, it looks like father went back to work." Mei said, a sign of relief in his voice.

"He has to work so late?" Ritsuka responded.

"No, no. His office is pretty far away, so he lives somewhere else when he goes to work and comes home on his day off. I guess it's a pretty common thing these days."

Ritsuka nodded.

"You live all by yourself then?"

"Yeah, I don't have any siblings and Mom's been…gone for a while. I have access to my Dad's bank account though, so it's not like I have to fend for myself." Mei said, raising his head. "Anyways, I'd better go start on that homework." He said smiling.

"Alright then, good night." Ritsuka responded, patting his head, feeling a bit of sympathy for him.

Mei smiled wider and turned to go inside. A thought entered suddenly into Ritsuka's mind, and he called after him.

"Mei-kun, I don't have anyone to eat lunch with. Can I sit with you tomorrow?"

"Sure! As…long as you want to."

"Then it's settled" Ritsuka responded, waving to him.

It was 11:00PM now, and as Ritsuka replayed the day in his mind, all he could think of was sleeping. He felt a bit cheerful though, he had found someone he felt comfortable with. More importantly, Mei had a friend now, something Ritsuka knew he desperately needed.

After a few minutes of walking, he made his way back up the steps from which his day began. The house was quiet once he entered; his mother was probably asleep by now. Then again, who knew what she did in that room all day. He brushed the thought out of his mind and went into the kitchen where she had left a small meal for him. He took a few bites of it before he was satisfied, and ran up stairs to his bedroom where his precious bed sat waiting for him.

He opened his door softly, and flopped down on the bed, slipping off his shoes in the process. Once again, his mind was flooded with the events of the day. The heat, Hitomi, the rice flying out of Yuiko's mouth as she talked, it went on and on. But as he shut his eyes and drifted to sleep, there was only one thought in his mind.

That damn homework.

A/N: Ok, so I know this kind of comes off as a retelling of the series, but it's really not meant to be. I kept the whole Soubi thing in there because I wanted to keep his character open for use, even though I'm not planning on it. I'm not going to be going into the whole Fighter/Sacrifice thing either; it's going to be strictly a school drama type thing. Well, at least for now.

Kouya and Yamato will be a part of the story as well, so I'm not completely cutting out the whole battle aspect of the series. Anyways, please review while keeping in mind that this is my very first fiction.

Thanks for reading!

-Pie


	2. Some Days Aren't Easy for Anyone

A/N: Hi there again! First off, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed my story, both on and elsewhere. Please keep it up! I would like any suggestions that could possibly make the story better.

Alright, Chapter 2 is really lighthearted, but it mainly sets the stage for Chapter 3, which is where I'll go a bit deeper into the characters and they'll have some more light hearted fun.

Enjoy!

Gentle sunrays crept in from the window and traveled across the room where Mei was lying on his bed, embraced by his warm blankets. He groaned at the sudden intruders and covered his head with a blanket, but failed to fall asleep again. Defeated, he lifted his covers and walked into the bathroom to begrudgingly prepare for the day.

Then he remembered. Today was going to be a great day. He had finally found someone who cared about him, someone who _wanted_ to be his friend. The thought put a wide smile on his face as he made his way downstairs to prepare his lunch.

He happily hummed as he searched his cabinet and refrigerator for the materials to make his lunch, his mind filled with thoughts of his new friendship. Mei even decided to make a lunch for Ritsuka. If he did nice things for Ritsuka, he'd always want to be friends right?

Mei readily agreed with himself while he quickly wrapped up the two meals and placed them gently into his bag, taking extra care of the one meant for Ritsuka. After brushing his teeth, combing his hair, and getting dressed, he walked out of his house, eager to get to school.

Mei quickly hid his eyes as the bright morning sunlight invaded them, painfully causing them to water. He gradually opened his eyes as they adapted to the sunlight, cursing silently at the troublesome light. He prayed to the Gods that this wasn't an omen, though he laughed at himself for worrying over such a ridiculous thing.

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"Ritsuka-kun! Over here!" Yuiko shouted, standing next to a group of girls. Ritsuka had barely walked into the classroom and already she was bothering him. He was further regretting being so cold to her yesterday. He hesitantly walked across the classroom to see what she wanted, already thinking of ways to get out of the conversation.

"Morning Ritsuka!" Yuiko shouted in a heavy, overexcited voice.

"…Mornin" Ritsuka responded in an intentionally uninterested voice.

"Aww, come on! Don't be grumpy so early; you'll ruin the rest of your day!" Yuiko scolded him, before he could respond she said "I want you to meet some of my friends. This is Asuka, Shion, and Erika" Pointing to each girl respectively.

Ritsuka gave them a quick look and then made a gesture that could be interpreted in some minds as a wave. Confident that the "wave" had satisfied them, he began walking to his seat.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Yuiko yelled after him. She was becoming increasingly upset with his demeanor this morning.

"Uh…"

"There are three_pretty_-"she seemed to strain herself on that word "-girls here introducing themselves to you, and you completely ignore them. Be a gentleman!" She grabbed his shoulders, causing him to stand up straight, and pointed him toward the girls.

Ritsuka didn't wait for orders from Yuiko, he just wanted to go.

"Nice to meet you" he said in a polite, but bitter voice.

The girls giggled and whispered hushed words to each other. Yuiko turned around to praise Ritsuka for his new politeness, but he had already made his way back to his desk.

"Jeez Yuiko, what's up with him? I thought you said you guys were friends." Asked one of the girls curiously.

"Yeah…we hit off pretty well yesterday" she shrugged "he must be in a bad mood or something, you know how boys are."

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Mei panted and gasped for air as he ran furiously toward the school. That second lunch had taken more time to make than he thought, and now he was running late. The temperature had cooled down, but Mei was sweating buckets and his face was turning red from the heat.

"Damn, damn" Mei thought to himself "If I don't get there by the time they close the front gate I-"

His thoughts were suddenly cut off as his foot caught the edge of the curb and sent him tumbling onto the hard asphalt of the street. Mei only had a few seconds to anticipate the pain as he fell onto the street below him. His hips came first, then his shoulders, and lastly his face. The pain came a few seconds later, not just the throbbing, searing feeling that came upon the wound, but the dirtiness that came with falling on asphalt.

Mei took a few moments to absorb the pain, hissing slightly and cursing to himself as he rubbed the injuries, hoping it would somehow lessen the pain. Finally he stood up and brushed himself off, removing the small pieces of gravel that had stuck to his skin and wiping off the miniscule spots of blood that had appeared on his face.

The pain had reduced itself to a moderate sting while he was gathering up his scattered things on the street. He limped slightly as he flung his bag once again over his shoulder and made his way, more slowly this time, toward the school.

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The bell brought groans from Ritsuka's classmates as it clanged loudly, interrupting their precious conversations.

"Everyone please be quiet so I can take roll!" Hitomi yelled out, her first statement of the day.

Ritsuka's name was called out within the first few seconds of roll, and he used the rest of the time to quickly scribble something that could be conceived as an answer to one of the question assigned yesterday. A few points were better than none, after all.

"Mei…..Mei? Hmm…absent today I-"

"I'm sorry, Hitomi-sensei!"

That voice, was that Mei? Ritsuka hadn't even noticed until now that Mei wasn't present. Hie face was red and his forehead was damp with sweat. His hair was slightly disheveled, there were several small spots of black on his arms, and his face had trace amount of what looked like blood.

"Mei? Are you alright? You look like you're hurt" Hitomi said curiously worried.

"Huh? Oh y…yeah, I was running here because I was late and I fell on the street. I'm alright though, um…I'm sorry for being late" Mei responded, stumbling on his words a bit.

"I'll excuse your tardiness this time because you haven't been late all semester, but please manage your time more carefully from now on, ok?" Stated Hitomi, adding a smile at the end.

Mei nodded and lowered his head slightly as he hurriedly made his way to his desk, avoiding the eyes of the students looking at him and whispering to their friends.

Ritsuka tried to get his attention as Mei walked past him, but Mei was moving so quickly and wouldn't bring his head up. Ritsuka was a little worried; Mei seemed to have a clumsy tendency about him.

His attention was suddenly stolen by Hitomi, who had begun collecting yesterday's homework. Ritsuka scrambled to scribble a few more lines on the mostly empty paper before he handed it nervously to her, hoping she wouldn't notice the several blank answers on the paper.

"All right class" Hitomi said, collecting the last of the papers "Let's discuss the answers to the assignment, and we'll move on from there!"

The students sighed as she began writing the first question on the board. Ritsuka turned to stare at the window, hoping the time would go faster that way.

Ritsuka's cloudy thoughts were lifted when the lunch bell rung loudly in his right ear. He was a little surprised at the length of time that had gone by during his daydreaming. He strained to remember what he was thinking about, but he couldn't produce it. As he rested his hands on the desk, preparing to get up, he felt a pair a hands clutch his shoulders.

"Hi" grinned Yuiko, whose face had just appeared to the left of him.

"Uh…"

"Come sit with us, Ritsuka" Yuiko said, with a more playful tone in her voice now.

"Well…"

"Now, now come on, we had such fun yesterday didn't we?" She had lifted him out of his seat and now had his arm, dragging him to the area where the girls from that morning were sitting. Ritsuka's initial reaction was to jerk his arm away, but he could feel Hitomi's eyes on him, and he did not want a repeat of yesterday.

"Now what?" He thought to himself. If he left now, he ran the risk of upsetting Yuiko and in turn, causing Hitomi to punish him. If he stayed, he knew Mei would be crushed, especially seeing him eat with some of the more popular kids in class.

He had no time to do anything as he was lead to a circle of desks and forced into one of them. He didn't even have a chance to breath before the rampage started.

"So where did you move from?!"

"Who's your favorite singer?"

"Which one of us is the cutest?"

"You want some of my lunch?"  
"Are you going out with anyone?"

Ritsuka opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly jumped in fright at a loud CLANG behind him.

"So, I see this isn't such an all-girls area anymore. Mind if I join?" Yayoi smirked; he had just moved his desk behind Ritsuka.

"Yes we do, Yayoi. Beat it" Yuiko stated coldly.

"Aww, come on! You always told me I couldn't sit here 'cuz I was a boy, but you're letting this new kid sit here!"

"That's because-…Hey, where is he going?!" Erika chimed in. Ritsuka had left the desk and was walking over to the corner, his hands comfortably stuffed in his pockets.

"Jeez, what's with that kid?" Shion huffed.

"Don't worry about him, Yuiko! You've got a grade A man right here!"  
"Eww, Yayoi you're so gross! Go away!" Yuiko replied, kicking his desk over.  
"You know" Asuka interrupted "The fact that he doesn't seem interested in us makes him all the more appealing."  
The girls all nodded in agreement, and suddenly there was another loud CLANG next to them..  
"Huh, you girls are pretty boring. I'm gonna go sit with those really cute girls over there." Yayoi said overdramatically.

"Okay, have fun" Yuiko replied dryly.  
Yuiko suddenly jumped when she felt something pulling at her legs.  
"Please Yuiko! PLEASE LET ME SIT BY YOU! JUST FOR TODAY!".

"Oh God Yayoi, grow up" Yuiko sighed, kicking him a final time. He finally gave up and, with his head hanging low, headed back to his normal area, where the other boys were grasping their stomachs in laughter, much to the dismay of Yayoi.  
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Ritsuka quickly made his way over to where Mei was sitting; listening for any sudden shouts from the area he had just left. He turned his head toward Mei, praying he wasn't upset.. He had a black hoodie on, its strings hanging off of his shoulders, and reaching to his chest. He had longer dark green jeans on today, probably due to the sudden drop in temperature from yesterday. Mei's overall appearance made him seem a bit older than he had the previous day.  
"Mei…" Ritsuka stated simply.  
"Oh….H..hi Ritsuka" Mei replied, his ears drooping a little.  
"Mei, I'm really sorry, I…"  
"It's ok" Mei interrupted "You could've stayed with them, you know…they're pretty popular, I'm sure you could meet lots of friends by sitting with them."  
"But _you're_ my friend, and I promised to sit with _you_"

Mei turned his face away.

"It's really ok, Ritsuka. I understand if you want to sit with them"

Ritsuka placed his hand on Mei's.

"I want to sit with _you_"

Mei's ears perked up, and Ritsuka saw him smile for the first time that day.

"Alright…as long as you want to. Um...I made too much food today, and I thought maybe you'd want some, so I packed some for you" Mei said, grabbing a small box from under the desk.  
"Oh…made it for me, huh?" Ritsuka said slyly, something that surprised himself. He unfolded the cloth from the box and began eating.  
"This is really good, who makes this?" Ritsuka savored, pointing to the ramen.  
"Me" Mei smiled "Do you really like it?!"  
"Yeah, this is way better than that store bought kind I usually have at home."

"Those things are quite common nowa-" Mei was interrupted by a large SLAM on his desk that sent Ritsuka two feet in air in fear. Mei's face become extremely pale, and for a few moments, he could've been mistaken as dead

"Ritsuka! You know it's Sunday tomorrow right?" Yuiko bursted out in a happy sing-song voice "No schoooooool! Got any plans?"

"Uh…not that I-"  
"Great, listen, my folks can score free tickets to Yomiuri Land whenever they want, so let's go tomorrow, ok?"  
Yomiuri Land? That amusement park on the other side of Tokyo? Ritsuka had toadmit to himself, it did sound like fun. He was still a kid after all.

"Well…sure. If you can really get tickets, we'd love to go."

"We?" Yuiko thought, since when had Ritsuka and Mei become so chummy? She wasn't about to object though, She was already on cold terms with Ritsuka as it was, and this could be her chance to get him to warm up to her.

"Will your parents be ok with that, Mei?" Yuiko said, sort of hoping he would say no.

"His Dad isn't home, so it should be fine, right?" Ritsuka said, answering for Mei.

Mei thought a little and nodded shyly. Yuiko inwardly sighed.

"Alright then…three tickets."

"Make that four."

Now it was time for Yuiko to jump. Hitomi had snuck up behind her and sternly placed her hand on Yuiko's shoulder.

"Hitomi-sensei?"

"I'm not about to let you three go to an amusement park all by yourselves. You must have a chaperone"

"But-"

"No objections! Unless you can find another adult, I will be accompanying you tomorrow."

"No objection here" Yuiko sighed "Better you than any other adult I guess."

Hitomi was struck by that statement. Why was she so much better than any other adult? Just because she still had her ears and tail didn't mean she was a child! At the same time, she was excited to finally have something to do on a Sunday. She began making a list in her mind of all the things they could do at Yomiuri Land. Maybe being like a kid wasn't all that bad.

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Hours after class ended, Hitomi had set her answering machine to proudly state that she was going to be away tomorrow. She had told everyone at the local bar that she had a romantic date at Yomiuri land, leaving out the fact that her 'date' was three of her students. She even described her imaginary date to the bartender: tall, blonde hair, nice car. The man of her dreams, she had told her.

Oh well, a little lie never hurt anyone did it?

A/N: Ah, a bit of Hitomi-bashing maybe? Didn't mean to be poking fun at her, but I really wanted to emphasize her loneliness, and how she feels people look at her.

Anyways, stay tuned for Chapter 3, where the gang (Hitomi, Ritsuka, Mei, and Yuiko. No Yayoi!) head to Yomiuri Land. Should be a lot of fun to write, and I hope you enjoy it. As always, reviewing is welcome and very much encouraged. Please tell me what I did wrong!

Thanks

-Pie.


	3. Yomiuri Land

A/N: Hi again! I want to thank everyone who has reviewed my story so far. You are making my first fanfiction experience a great one! As always, please read and review, and don't be afraid to point out anything you don't like. Just don't be mean about it :).

I hope you enjoy it!

Yuiko and Ritsuka walked hand-in-hand on a secluded path on the outskirts of Yomiuri Land, the crisp autumn wind gently touching their warm cheeks. The leaves had finally begun to turn beautiful shades of saffron, amber, and auburn. They seemed to celebrate the couple as they made gentle footprints in the dust behind them.

At last, they reached the end of the path which stopped at the foot of a large tree, its branches reaching greatly above them, providing them with a small sanctuary.

"It's so….beautiful" was all Yuiko could sputter out at the amazing sight. Her happiness was beyond imagination when Ritsuka quietly pulled her aside and led her down the isolated path. Who knew where Mei and Hitomi were, probably desperately running around the park calling out their names as Hitomi ran down a list of horrible things that could've happened to them. The thought made Yuiko smirk inwardly.

Suddenly she felt warm hands cup her cheek gently, pulling her face up to see Ritsuka smiling sweetly at her. As she struggled bring her face up to his, he gently leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

Sparks flew in Yuiko's mind, and she questioned whether she had died on the way to the park. Her shoulders relaxed, her eyes closed, and she began to return his gentle, but somehow strong, kiss. It was then that she was finally able to _feel_ the kiss. It was the most fantastic thing she had ever experienced in her life, the way he made her feel like nothing else mattered in the world, like they were the _only _people in the world. Yet still, it was somehow strange now. His lips were so…cold, like they had been brought in from the cold snow on an early December morning. And the taste! Almost…revolting, a taste that she could not completely recognize at first, but soon guessed it as metallic.

She slowly opened her eyes, and found her lips succulently locked onto her small, black, cellphone. She opened her mouth to let out a large yell, but quickly stifled herself when she saw the various sleeping girls around her. That's right, she was at Asuka's house, they had planned the sleepover earlier in the week, and Yuiko couldn't cancel on the risk that they would become suspicious. She was staunchly keeping her trip with Ritsuka, and those other two people, a secret. They would rip her to shreds if she told them that she was going on a date with Ritsuka. Well, it wasn't a date yet, but if her dream was any indication, it would become the most romantic trip of her life.

Yuiko gently tiptoed in between the snoring girls, opening the door silently, and praying that none of them would stir. She took a long step out of the room and listened carefully for any strange noises, but all she heard was gentle snoring coming from two of the girls. Yuiko sighed in relief, and silently crept down the stairs, grabbing her bag, and heading quickly out the door. She would have to get dressed in the bushes.

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Mei's docile Sunday morning sleep was rudely interrupted by the blunt blaring of the alarm clock on his nightstand. He slowly raised himself painfully by his elbow and brushed the cobalt hair from his eyes. His blurry vision caught the red glow of the clock, which displayed 7:00, before his hand wildly flailed at it until the alarm went silent.

He stumbled across the room, yawning loudly, to his bathroom, where he promptly flung cold water on his face, a decision he regretted a moment later. He searched blindly for a towel, shaking his face madly, until finally his fingers found a soft fluffy object to dry his face on.

Mei's periwinkle eyes drifted up from the soft towel to look at himself in the mirror. Cold droplets of water still dripped from the tip of his small nose to the sink below, and his ears were, as always, hid by his mesh of hair. But there was something different about himself, nothing that could be noticed by anyone's eyes but his own. His eyes seemed to shine more brightly than before, and his face seemed to show, not the poor helpless boy that they it had always shown, but something…different.

He brushed the thought out of his mind and walked downstairs, his slippers making a soft thump as he landed on the last step. He turned on the television, which displayed a young 20-something year old woman who was pointing to a digital map which was plastered with several different cartoonish icons.

"Today will once again bring a sharp drop in temperatures for the entire Tokyo prefecture, as well a slight chance for rain. If you are planning any outdoor activities, please remember to dress appropriately. That is all for the weather, now we turn to…"

The newswoman's words were drowned out as he went into the kitchen to eat a short breakfast, checking the clock constantly while stuffing food into his mouth. By the time he set his chopsticks down, fifteen minutes had passed, and he had only 10 minutes to get dressed, brush his teeth, and all the other tedious activities that come with the morning.

As he slipped on the long-sleeve taupe shirt, he heard the faint television voice say:

"As we begin this half-hour, a lawsuit has been filed against the-"

"Damn" he breathed, running downstairs to grab a scarf from the closet. The train station was at least a 20 minute walk, and they had all agreed to take the 8:00 train to Yomiuri Land. He, almost violently, shut off the television, and rushed to the door, opening it madly and running out the door while turning around to check that he hadn't forgot anything.

"Eh? Whoa!" He heard a familiar voice shout as he slammed violently into something and fell head-first to the ground.

"Mei, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" He felt something warm grasp his hand and lift him up shakily to his feet once again. After regaining his mind and vision, he looked at the familiar raven haired boy who was still grasping his hand and asking if he was alright.

"I'm fine…Ritsuka? What are you doing here?"

"Since we live close to each other, I thought we could walk to the station together. I was about to ring the doorbell when you rushed out. You sure you're alright? You look a little rattled, why don't you sit down for a minute?"

"There's no time for that! Besides, I'm alright. Come on, we've gotta get going if we're ever going to make it on time!" Mei said, grasping Ritsuka's hand, then immediately pulling it away, blushing. "S…sorry about that"

The taller boy simply smiled and took Mei's hand in his, while the other boy lowered his head, trying to hide his glowing face.

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"Where the hell is he? The train leaves in five minutes!" Yuiko grabbed Hitomi by the arm, pulling viciously on the sleeve of her shirt, threatening to rip it.

"Yuiko, please calm down! Isn't that him over there?" Hitomi scolded, pointing towards two figures paying for their train tickets. Yuiko pushed her aside and sprinted toward the two boys, who had just entered the station.

"Ritsuka! I knew you'd come!" Yuiko shouted, jumping at him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Er…hi Yuiko" Ritsuka responded, straining the free his body of the hug.

"Come on, there's no time, the train's leaving like right now! Hurry, hurry!" Yuiko grasped his arm and pulled his violently toward the train, whose doors had just opened.

"Well, Mei we should probably follow them, huh?" Hitomi said, smiling brightly at him and waving her arm in the general direction of the open doors.

Mei gently nodded his head and walked slowly behind her, his feet dragging on the hard pavement below him. He softly placed his hand on his chest. What was that feeling just now when he saw Yuiko hug Ritsuka? It felt…horrible. Like someone was dragging their nails against his heart.

His footsteps went from a faint pitter-patter to an echoic clanking as he boarded the crowded train, looking for Ritsuka and the others among the sea of people.

"Mei, over here!" Hitomi's usual sing-songy voice rang out over the cellphone conversations and the hands traveling across their phones furiously, texting and dialing numbers.

He pushed past the other occupants, whispering silent 'excuse me's and 'sorry's before he reached the front of the train where Yuiko, Mei, and Hitomi were sitting. He spotted an empty seat nearby, but it was quickly occupied by an old woman who painfully pushed herself onto the seat, sighing once she had settled in.

"Oh dear…I don't see any seats around here, Mei…er…" Hitomi strained her eyes, looking for any empty seats nearby. His eyes drifted toward Ritsuka. Yuiko was sitting uncomfortably close to him, talking happily in his ear. There was that feeling again.

"Um…I saw some seats on the other side of the train, I'll just go sit over there." Mei tried his best to smile and walked innocently to the other side of the train. He found a lone seat at the back of the train, sitting in it as the train start moving towards their destination.

Mei found his mind moving too, at a speed exponentially greater than that of the train. Yuiko was one of the most popular girls in class; he wondered what her feelings toward Ritsuka were. He remembered the way Yuiko jumped onto Ritsuka, the way she was inching closer to him on the train now. Mei brought his legs up to seat, burying his face in them. It was going to be a long train ride.

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As he watched Mei walk to the other side of the train, his ears drooping low, Ritsuka had the urge to follow him. He knew that something was wrong with him, something more than having to sit away from them on the train ride. Yuiko gently wrapped her arms around his, however, keeping him from even trying to get up from the now moving train.

An hour later, his right ear was painfully red and ringing from Yuiko talking insanely into it about useless things, like television, movies, and gossip from around the school. Ritsuka sighed in relief as the train slowed to a halt and the announcer crisply stated.

"We are now approaching onto the Yomiuri Land stop. Any passengers planning to get off here, please be ready to quickly exit the train."

Several people stood up, including Ritsuka, Hitomi, and Yuiko, who was still grabbing desperately onto Ritsuka's long arm. As the door opened, he found himself pushed and pulled at the same time by the masses of people coming into, and coming out of, the train.

A few seconds later, somehow, he found himself onto the platform of the Yomiuri Land stop, along with Hitomi and Yuiko, who also seemed stunned to be there. He quickly glanced around for any sign of Mei, and soon smiled as he saw him walking slowly toward him. He jerked Yuiko's arm from his, and rushed to meet Mei.

"Long train ride, huh? I felt pretty squished in there." Ritsuka laughed and gave Mei a sly smile.

"Huh? Oh...y…yeah" Mei hadn't noticed the time passing, to be honest. He was drowned in his thoughts for the majority of it.

Ritsuka frowned slightly at him before leading him to the escalators where Hitomi and Yuiko had already stepped onto.

"Alright" Yuiko stated while handing each of them a ticket as they all neared the front gate "Make sure you ask the guy for a re-entry permit, 'cause you can't get back in the park if you don't have one." The others nodded in understanding and took their respective tickets, standing in line for entrance into the park.

"I wonder what we should do first" Hitomi pondered

"That's easy! Yomiuri Land is famous for its Ferris wheel; it's a must for anyone coming to the park for the first time! Plus you'll get a great view of the whole park. It's pretty cloudy, so I doubt you'll be able to see Mt. Fuji, but on clear days you can see it." Yuiko responded in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Is that…the Ferris wheel?!" Mei responded frightfully, pointing to a giant structure that was currently slowly spinning its gondolas. Yuiko nodded as she gave her ticket to a portly man at the window, followed by Hitomi, Ritsuka, and lastly Mei.

"Come on, come on" Yuiko urged them "It's still early, so there should be no line at the Ferris wheel" She broke out in a run toward the large wheel, and was followed, more slowly, by the others.

As they reached the entrance for the ride, which only had about 20 people waiting for it, Mei could see the true monstrosity of the structure. He didn't try to estimate the height; in fear that it might cause him a heart attack, but he was surprised oxygen masks weren't provided on the gondolas.

His eyes drifted lower to a sign at the entrance that read "Please pair up with someone before boarding the Ferris wheel." Yuiko grabbed onto Ritsuka and proclaimed

"I've got my partner!" Mei's ears dropped, and he went so sit on a nearby bench.

"Mei, what's wrong? Come get in line." Hitomi asked.

"I'm sorry, sensei, I'm terribly afraid of heights. I'm…Just too scared to go on."

He dropped his head, feeling guilty that he was leaving Hitomi without a partner for the ride. He felt someone sit down next to him, and looked up to apologize to Hitomi. He was met instead with a compassionately smiling Ritsuka.

"Mei, why don't you just try to go on it once? You'll only be up high for a few minutes" Ritsuka said, speaking in a soft voice.

"I'm sorry…I just can't…"

"Come on, I'll go on with you and you can hold my hand if you get scared" Ritsuka winked at him as he said this.

"Ah…" Mei's face become red and he buried it into his own shirt.

"Come on" Ritsuka placed his hand on Mei's back and lifted him up, leading him back towards the Ferris wheel.

Mei still wasn't too sure about the whole thing. His eyes darted back and forth, trying to judge how safe the ride was, considering asking the operator how many accidents had occurred in the last year.

"Ritsuka, come up here, we're next!" Yuiko shouted back to him.

"Oh, Yuiko. I'm going with Mei, I'm sure Hitomi would happily be your partner" he shouted back at her.

There was a few seconds of silence followed by a loud 'hmph' and a few giggles from Hitomi as the gondola shook and shaked while beginning its travel to the top.

A few moments later, a giggling couple exited from the gondola as they ended their trip. The gondola stood in stern awkwardness, beckoning the next passengers into its lonely confines. Mei shook as he was placed into the small, unsteady structure, silently praying that he wouldn't die.

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Hitomi giggled and gushed as the gondola went higher and higher. How long had it been since she'd been on a Ferris wheel? Too long, she now concluded. Her eyes widened as the objects on the ground grew smaller and smaller.

Yuiko, on the other hand, was becoming increasingly annoyed by Ritsuka today, and Hitomi's childish amazement was not helping to cool her head. She looked onto the tops of the trees as they continued to go higher. What was she doing wrong? Was she coming on too strong? One thing was clear, if she wanted to get Ritsuka, she would have to do something drastic.

"Yuiko! Yuiko, look! We're at the top! The view is so beautiful; you can almost see Mt. Fuji! How high do you think we are, huh?" Hitomi squealed as the gondola stopped near the top of the Ferris wheel, swinging slightly as it halted. Yuiko rolled her eyes and continued to look towards the gray sky in the distance.

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"A…aa…haaaaaa!" Mei screamed, tears streaming down his face as the gondola swung violently back and forth, making horrible squeaking sounds as it rubbed against hard metal.

"Mei, Mei! It's alright, it's supposed to do that." Ritsuka assured him, grabbing his hand and rubbing it gently. After a few moments the gondola slowed, now only swaying slightly in the November wind.

Mei raised his head slowly, still frightened that the gondola might suddenly come crashing down, bringing their lives to an end. The fear slowly diminished as he looked upon the skyscrapers of Tokyo.

"It's a pretty nice sight. I'm glad you came on." Ritsuka released Mei's hand, and brought his own hand to wipe a stray tear from Mei's face. The action made Mei feel…calm, but confused somehow. There was a new feeling gnawing away on the pit of soul, but it made him feel happy somehow. He closed his eyes as the gondola jumped forward, preparing for descent.

"That was more fun that I could have imagined! Hey Yuiko, let's go on that rollercoaster next, ok?" Hitomi giggled and pointed to a large nearby ride.

"We have to wait for Ritsuka" Yuiko said through gritted teeth. Hitomi was supposed to be a teacher, yet she was acting like someone that Yuiko would babysit. Hitomi suddenly waved her arms at the Ferris wheel.

"Over here! Over here! Hurry, we're gonna go on a rollercoaster next!" She shouted Ritsuka and Mei, who were just exiting the ride. They quickly pushed through the mass of people now gathered there to meet the glowing Hitomi.

"Did you have fun, Mei?" She asked, patting him on the head.

"Yeah, I think I overcame my fear of heights, at least a little" He brought a hand up to nervously rub the back of his head. Yuiko interrupted the friendly moment by grabbing Ritsuka and yelling.

"We're going to the rollercoaster…NOW!"

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"Attention. The park will be closing in fifteen minutes. All guests, please begin making your way to the exits. All employees, please begin shutting down the rides. I repeat…"

The huge clock that hung above the front gate shone the time of 4:45 as the four rushed to make the 5:00 train back home. The day was spent eating sweets, riding rollercoasters, and enjoying the small sputters of rain that would come throughout the day. Even Yuiko, whose day had started off rocky enough, was now smiling with Hitomi as they retold each other various events of the day.

"Remember that drop? That was so insane, I didn't think it would ever end!"

"Yeah, but do you remember White Canyon? I hear it's a direct replica of a ride in America!"  
"Really? I've gone here tons of times, and I've never heard that!"

"Yeah, I think I read it in a magazine…"

The discussion still continued as they traveled down the escalator and entered the nearly vacant train. They sat directly across from Mei and Ritsuka, who had already entered the train a moment before they had.

The whole day was finally taking its toll on everyone, most specifically Mei. The lack of sleep the previous night, along with the various walking he had done today had made him very tired. He gently rested his head on a nearby window and closed his eyes.

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Mei laughed happily as he rolled in the tall grass and played in the cool water of the nearby stream. He had finally found it. Paradise. The field stretched out as far as the eye could see, and the flowing water of the creek was always cold and fresh.

He crawled over to it and dipped his hands in the water, bringing them up to bring the cool liquid to his dry mouth. He quickly drank it and brought his hands to receive a second helping running of a large rock. Rock? Trees. Clouds. The gray clouds. Rain. It had rained. Where? Where had it rained? The park. What park? Yomiuri. That's right, he had gone there. He remembered the way the track of the rollercoasters would make violent turns. The tracks? The train! He was on the train!  
He suddenly became conscious, though he had not opened his eyes. He could hear the calm "thump-thump" of the train as it hastily made its way to its destination. His head was on something warm and soft; it felt so good against his cold face. He snuggled his head against it, hoping to get a few more minutes of sleep before he was forced to walk the, seemingly eternal, length home.

As he rubbed his head on the object and happily sighed, he heard a slight snicker from above him. Mei froze. He couldn't be….Opening his eyes, he was met with the torso of a black jacket that was going up and down rhythmatically.

"Ahh! I'm so sorry!" Mei shot up from Ritsuka's chest and wiped the spot where his head had been furiously while repeating 'sorry, sorry, sorry…' Ritsuka just smiled and grabbed Mei's hand.

"It's alright, Mei, I don't mind. You actually look pretty cute while sleeping. Besides, it's not like we're the only ones" Ritsuka motioned toward the two sleeping females across from them. Yuiko was spread out across the seat, her torso and neck hanging on Hitomi's leg. Hitomi simply had her head back, her mouth open, and eyes shut.

"I'd let you keep sleeping, but it appears that we're here." Ritsuka pointed to an electronic sign that stated that they would be arriving at the stop in a few minutes. Mei's heart was still pounding, and somehow, the question slipped out of his lips.

"How do you feel about Yuiko?"

"Hmm? She's alright I guess, I used to find her annoying, but she's ok. Why do you ask?"

Mei's mind suddenly caught up with his mouth.

"No reason!" he sputter out nervously "Just wondering!"

Ritsuka was about to follow up but was interrupted by the train.

"We are now arriving at our stop. All passengers getting off here, please watch your step on the platform, as it is raining considerably. Have a nice day.

Hitomi jerked a little, and then drearily opened her eyes and adjusted her glasses. She looked at Mei and Ritsuka for a few moments, and then looked down. She shouted and jerked her legs, causing Yuiko to suddenly wake up.

"Oh…oh dear, I must have fallen asleep" Hitomi said, trying to keep her professionalism, though all three of her students had already seen a less than professional side of her earlier that day.

"Yeah, I think we all did" Mei stated "We should get off before the doors close though."

They all gathered themselves and sprinted towards the doors, getting out just as the doors were beginning to close. On the empty platform, Hitomi suddenly went further into teacher-mode.

"ahem Yes well, I'm glad you all had a good time. I expect you all to get a good night's sleep and be alert and ready to learn tomorrow, understood?"

They all nodded, too tired to even think of objecting.

"Good. Yuiko, you live near me, so I'll walk you home. I trust you boys can take care of yourselves."

The boys nodded, and she walked away from them, giving a polite goodbye as she led Yuiko with her. Yuiko already appeared to be falling back asleep, half-waving to them as she stumbled alongside Hitomi.

"Well, shall we go then?" Ritsuka smiled while pulling an umbrella from his bag.

"You brought an umbrella?"

"The weather report said it would rain a little, so I brought one just in case. Good thing I did"

The rain was pouring heavily, making small creeks on the edges of the road. Mei stepped under the now open umbrella, and they began the long walk to their houses.

The rain pounded hard on the tiny umbrella. Mei thought it sounded like large nails falling onto it, but it kept him dry, and that was all he cared about. They made small talk along the way, mostly talking about the rain, and the day that they had just left behind.

Soon they appeared on the sidewalk of Mei's dark home. Though he enjoyed spending time with Ritsuka, Mei was very happy to be home. He was unbelievably tired and couldn't wait to flop down on his soft bed. He turned to say goodbye to Ritsuka when he suddenly felt Ritsuka's free arm wrap around his body, pulling Mei toward him.

There were no words spoken. Ritsuka's strong embrace remained for several moments until Mei returned it, wrapping his arms around the taller boy. He was so warm and so soft. Just like on the train. Mei gently buried his face into Ritsuka, his nose invaded by the raven-haired boys scent mixed with the smell of rain that had permeated all of Tokyo.

Mei's heart was filled with so many emotions, but only one phrase was entering his mind: 'Don't ever let go. Please Ritsuka, don't ever let me go." Ritsuka's head bent down slightly, his lips touching the soft skin of Mei's forehead. The shorter boy's heart was racing madly; all those emotions he had felt throughout the day seemed to invade it, fighting with each other for who would dominate.

As quickly as it began, it was over. Ritsuka hesitantly removed his arm from Mei and removed his lips from his skin. Mei's heart dropped and he gave Ritsuka a questioning look. He just smiled at him and whispered a 'good night' before leading him up to the porch and leaving to go home, giving Mei one last smile as he walked along the sidewalk.

Mei fumbled with his house keys before he finally slipped it into the keyhole and opened the large door. Closing the door behind him, he walked up the stairs, opened the door to his room, fell onto the bed, and cried for several minutes before gradually falling asleep.

It was the first time he had ever cried tears of joy.

A/N: The first thing I have to say about this chapter is 'eh'. I feel I was a little 'off' for a large part of it, but I'll let you all decide how it went. Did you like the last part? I tried to make it as sweet as I could without it getting too heavy. It's my first 'romantic' scene, so please let me know what you thought. Thanks!

-Pie


	4. Rain

A/N: Eek, sorry it took so long to put this new chapter up! I've been so piled on with school and stuff…research papers and tests and…blah. Thanks to black.is.the.new.blood (I hope that's still your username, you changed it!) for supporting my first story ". Anyways, enjoy! Oh, and sorry it's kinda short...

Mei laid in the warm sanctuary of his bed, the covers thrown over his head. School would be starting in thirty minutes, but all he could do was roll on the sheets, grasping his stomach as the thoughts flooded his mind.

Those arms wrapped so tightly around him, seeming to proclaim to the world 'This is mine.' Those lips pressed so gently against his soft skin, warming the cold flesh. It had felt so wonderful last night, a euphoria that seemed to last forever. But now…now his stomach tightened into a knot at the mere thought of Ritsuka, let alone going to school.

Mei groaned and rolled on his side as his stomach gave another lunge forward. Even if he skipped school, what then? He would still be sitting here, battling his thoughts and stomach for dominance over his body.

He painfully uncovered himself and brought his two feet slowly to the ground.

The clouds from the previous night still lingered in the sky, seeming to emulate Mei's emotions as they hung immobile. He still felt uneasy about going to school, but it's not like he had much of a choice. The last thing Mei would want was a couple of school officials coming to his door to ask him why he wasn't there.

At that moment a thought jolted through his mind. Ritsuka hadn't come. Not that he had ever come to walk Mei to school, but he thought after last night….He shook his head and it. He was misunderstanding the meaning of the things Ritsuka did last night. There was no way that Ritsuka…

He closed his eyes tightly before his mind could finish the thought. Yet more and more of them came, his mind imagining things that his heart desired. Mei ran desperately toward the school, hoping that the thoughts could not keep up. He didn't know how long he ran, he could only hear the splashes as he mindlessly stepped into the puddles that had formed from the previous night.

Panting and gasping for air, he found himself in front of Hitomi's classroom. His anxiety rose as he thought of Ritsuka sitting at his desk. What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? Dammit, Ritsuka was the one who started this whole thing, why was _he_ the one that was so nervous?

He muscled up all the courage that resided within his soul and stepped into the busy classroom. As Mei had predicted, Ritsuka was sitting at his desk. He was lazily holding up his head with one hand and doodling something illegible with the other. Mei stood for a minute, hoping that Ritsuka's eyes would find him. Yet his hand still skewered at the paper in front of him, and his eyes never moved from it.

Mei moved swiftly to his desk, plopping his bag loudly onto the floor, causing Ritsuka to glance up. He looked at Mei, smiled and went back to his mindless work. At first, Mei's heart sank, but he quickly brushed it off. What was he expecting? He snickered at himself, he really was off today.

The clanging of the lunch bell echoed through the hall as the students grouped together to eat and chat. Mei groaned, rubbed his eyes in exhaustion and looked down at the notebook in front of him. There was nothing written there, he couldn't even remember what Hitomi had been babbling about when she was dragging her dulling marker across the board for the last three hours.

His hands slipped into his bag until he felt the moisture of his lunch breath against his fingertips. He flopped the lunch in front of him and stared blankly at it. The sight of the rice and meat in front of him made him queasy and he shoved it away, turning his head. Ritsuka could eat his lunch; he had forgotten to pack one for Ritsuka anyways.

Where _was_ Ritsuka anyways? Mei's dreary eyes searched the room for his friend and stopped immediately at a spot in the corner. Ritsuka and Yuiko were bent over a small pile, laughing. Their faces were so close to each other, rubbing together when they reached toward the pile.

Mei's heart stopped. There was that feeling again, that tearing in his heart that he had first experienced yesterday. It was stronger now, however. He quickly averted his eyes and stood up, knocking his bag over in the process. He didn't bother to pick it up as he headed towards the door, finding it harder and harder to breath.

"Ah, thanks for giving me these doubles from the pictures you took yesterday" Ritsuka said eyeing the stack in his hand "I'll scan them into my computer tonight and give them back tomorrow."

"Don't worry about it" responded Yuiko, waving her hand "I don't need them really."

Ritsuka just nodded and flicked through the stack once again.

"Looks like we got them all, I'll see you later."

"Bu-…alright, I'll e-mail you or something…" Yuiko frowned, waving slightly and walking to her usual lunch spot. The black-haired boy walked over to his bag and placed the pictures carefully in it, making sure they would not become bent by the end of the day. Satisfied that they were safe, he closed his bag and stood to sit with Mei.

All he found was an empty desk with a spilled bag and an unopened lunch.

The sound of water flowing from the sink filled Mei's ears, echoing throughout the lonely bathroom and calming his nerves, if only a little. He slowly turned the handle, causing the water to gradually stop. What the hell was happening to him? Ever since last night his life had turned into a train wreck. His appetite was gone, he couldn't sleep, and he hadn't heard a thing Hitomi had said this morning.

Mei sighed and dropped to the floor. It was nice in here, so quiet and peaceful; it made him feel that no one could bother him. Not even his heart and mind, he was completely free. His head fell against the hard wall and he sighed, placing his hands on his chest. He wanted to stay here forever, in this silly bathroom that meant so much to him at this moment.

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"Mei, Mei! Are you alright? Can you hear me? Oh no, oh no, oh no…"

Mei could feel warm hands on his arms, shaking and shaking. Why were they doing that?

"Oh God, is his heart beating?!"

One of the hands moved to his chest, pressing hard onto it. Why couldn't they just leave him alone?

"It's beating but…I've…I've got to call an ambulance!"

He groaned.

"Eh? Mei, Mei?!"

He opened his eyes slowly; he saw the familiar green tiles of the bathroom fuzzily through his blurry vision.

"Are you alright? Don't get up, I'll call someone."

It took him a while to recognize the brunette woman in the pink skirt as his own teacher.

"It's…alright Hitomi-sensei, I guess I just fell asleep at lunch. I had trouble sleeping last night." Mei reassured her. It took a few minutes of convincing and a quick trip to the nurse's office before Hitomi would let him come back to class. Not that it mattered much; by the time he drearily entered the classroom again there was only twenty minutes left in class.

"Uh….free time for the rest of class, just keep it down, ok?" Hitomi shouted as she rummaged through her bag. The class immediately erupted in the noises of desks moving and mouths talking.

"Let's see…what did I do with those worksheets…Ah! Here we go." She scooped out a pile of papers and swiftly handed one to Mei. "Please have this completed by tomorrow. You missed the lesson for this, but you can find the information in your book. Let's see….what page…."

The bell rang sharply and the class quickly moved their desks back and began to collect their bags.

"It's alright, Hitomi-sensei, I'm sure I can figure it out on my own." Mei muttered desperately. He was overwhelmed with the feeling to leave. Not to any specific place, just away from this school, or maybe away from his life.

"Are you-" She couldn't get out of the question before Mei had snuck out of the classroom.

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"Ritsuka, Rituka!" He could hear Yuiko's voice coming closer and closer to him, the squeaky sound echoing through his ears. Ritsuka turned around, not saying anything, just looking at her in a questioning manner.

"I thought we-" She motioned towards a group of girls behind her "could all go to the mall. They're having a sale on-"

"No thanks, I don't like shopping" He responded. He made an effort to be nicer to her than he felt necessary.

"But Ritsuka…"

"He said he doesn't wanna go. Boys suck at shopping anyways, all they do is complain!" One of the girls behind her shouted. The rest of the girls murmured in agreement and dragged Yuiko away.

"See you tomorrow." Ritsuka smiled and walked in the opposite direction. He sat in the hall for a few moments, looking towards the classroom door. Where the hell was Mei, was Hitomi going to keep him there all day? After a few more minutes of impatient waiting, he reaching for the door and entered the classroom.

"Eh? Did you forget something, Ritsuka?" Hitomi glanced up, her glasses were crooked and her hair was disheveled. There was a large stack of essays on her desk; she had only finished grading a few.

"Er…isn't Mei here?"  
"Mei? No, he left a few minutes ago. Don't worry I already gave him the-" Before she could finish her statement he had already left the room. She sighed, adjusting her glasses, and looking blankly at the stack of papers in front of her.

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The cold, moist air whipped across Mei's face as he sat on a swing in the park near the school. His hands were becoming numb from gripping the cold metal of the chains, but he did not remove them. He just sat swaying slightly, the wind seeming to persuade him to swing.

He sighed, his breath appearing before him and disappearing into the air. He watched it as it headed towards the gray sky above him. Life had been so much easier a few days ago, and yet, his soul was thirsty for more of those feelings and he didn't know how to quench it.

He felt cold moisture on his cheek fall down his cheek. A tear? No, it had begun raining again; it now sprinkled on his entire body. Mei considered going home, but remained on the swing, too tired to move. All he could do was watch his feet as they scraped the soft dirt below him. The rain was coming down harder now, his hair was wet and he began shivering, but he still refused to move.

He was tired again…he wanted to sleep. Closing his eyes, he bent his head down and allowed his numbed hands to fall from the metal chains.

The cold water on his face stopped, and was replaced by the loud pitter-patter of rain falling on fabric.

"You're going to catch a cold if you stay out here too long." Mei knew that voice. He didn't respond, his head continuing to hang in the moist air. A warm hand brushed the hair from his face and gently held his cheek. Mei gathered the energy to open his eyes and slightly lift his head up.

"Ritsuka…" He managed to mutter out. There was no verbal response from the taller boy, just arms lifting him from the swing and wrapping around him.

"Ritsuka…" Mei repeated. He buried his face into soft fabric of Ritsuka's shirt, Ritsuka's free hand moving to gently pet Mei's head as his other held the umbrella above them.

"Are you ok?" Ritsuka asked, his mouth moving down to Mei's ear.

"…Ye…Yeah" It was happening again, just like last night…what was he going to-

His thoughts were completely shut down when Ritsuka's arm pulled him closer, if that was possible, and warm lips met his. The umbrella that has sheltered them was dropped, and they stood exposed in the falling rain.

Mei's body was filled with warmth, as if Ritsuka was breathing new life into him. His mouth was filled of the taste of Ritsuka, his nose with the musk of Ritsuka, all of his senses were overpowered by the simple kiss. Ritsuka's arms seemed to move into his body, gently plucking at the strings of his heart.

The lips were removed from his, but the arms remained coiled tightly around him. Mei opened his eyes, looking into Ritsuka, trying to find an answer.

Yet all it offered was a disarming smile and eyes that searched into his. Mei couldn't hold it anymore, all the feelings that had been pent up in his heart burst out and he cried, wrapping his arms around Ritsuka and letting the tears fall onto his shoulder. He leaned down once again and spoke softly in his ear.

"Let me take you home." Confusion and frustration coursed through Mei's body, he pulled himself from Ritsuka's grip.

"No! Ritsuka...I...I don't understand. Why…why did you do what you did just now? Why did you do what you did last night? I'm…" his voice broke as tears once again streamed down his face "I'm so confused, Ritsuka…"

Those strong arms were around him again, pulling him towards Ritsuka.

"I love you."

A/N: Whew! That didn't sound too cliché did it? Hope not ;;, anyways, please R&R and junk, I've got finals coming up so I don't know when the next chapter will be up!


	5. We All Need Sleep

A/N: Hi again! Finals are thankfully ended on Tuesday (If I have to write one more research paper...), so I've got a month to sit back and relax! This chapter is a little short (Around 2000 words) but I think it's alright.

Oh, and for everyone who was wondering why the characters seem a bit OOC, well this is pretty much a fluff story. As such, I kind of have to take a lot of the seriousness out of them and replace it with a cuter aspect. By the way, I've really kinda written this as I've gone along, so there may be a few weird inconsistencies that I haven't picked up.

I hope you've all enjoyed what I've written so far. Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, who all had very kind words to say about it! You've all made my first real writing experience so wonderful!

"I love you."

The phrase seemed strange to Mei. Whenever he heard it, it was always spoken out of necessity, with a hint of annoyance in the speaker's voice as they said it to their loved ones. There was never any truth to it, no passion or veracity, it rolled off the tongue blandly and fell flat in the listener's ear, and they were perfectly content with hearing the phrase, even if there was no meaning behind it. But as he looked at Ritsuka's lips mouthing those three simple words, his eyes glistening in the rain, the words carried truth. The words flew into Mei's heart and soul and devoured him completely. His body was ravaged, both mentally and physically. The past days had been cruel to him, and his mind was flooded, throbbing with pain at the side of his skull.

His heart beat wildly against his chest, a thousand emotions were flowing through it rapidly and he thought that it might burst at the overflow of feelings. As he struggled to get his savagely pulsating heart under control, Mei had realized that he had not yet responded to Ritsuka.

He tilted his head up slightly to meet with the taller boy's dark eyes. He looked deep into those black pools; they shone with fear and anxiety. Had Ritsuka regretted uttering those words? Were they the result of nothing more than a moment of passion, a rush of hormones?

All the emotions that were scattering throughout Mei's heart now suddenly burst out, and he ran forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Ritsuka. He sobbed, the tears running down his face indistinguishable with the rain that was falling around them. The shorter boy burrowed his head into the dark confines of the jacket in front of him and continued weeping. A few moments passed before Mei felt Ritsuka's arms rise up. One traveled downward and wrapped itself around his waist, pulling him if closer if that was physically possible. The other went to gently tangle in his blue hair. He petted it softly, brushing away the sorrow like loose hairs as Mei's ears drooped in peace.

Mei's body had had enough. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind while a thousand emotions struggled for dominance over his heart. His sobs turned to quiet whimpers, his tears vanished, and he finally gave in to the gentle embrace of unconsciousness. Before he shut his eyes, he struggled to mutter out:  
"I love you, Ritsuka."

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It took a moment for Ritsuka to realize that the boy under him had become unconscious. After he had noticed the body in his arms had gone limp, he looked down to see Mei's eyes shut and mouth slightly open.

The taller boy wasn't quite sure what to do now. He held up Mei with one arm and used the other to take off his jacket and wrap it around him, then he picked up the umbrella that had fallen during their embrace and placed it above his head.

He soon realized that he couldn't carry both the umbrella and the boy, and threw it back onto the ground. Ritsuka then placed his hand on Mei's bottom, which he noted as being rather soft, and hoisted him up horizontally on his arms.

He wrapped the jacket tightly around the shorter boy's body and proceeded to walk back to his own house, the only option that he seemed to have at the time.

The normally 15 minute walk took Ritsuka a full 25 minutes before he reached his front door, reaching his arm down to fumble in his pocket and grabbing a key. He maneuvered his arms that were occupied with Mei, who was surprising light, to jam the key in the door and nudge it open with his foot.

Mei's eyes were still closed, but his chest moved up and down in a fairly regular fashion, diminishing any worries that he might be in some serious danger. He walked up the flight of stairs to his bedroom, similarly opening the door with a nudge of his foot and gently placing Mei on the bed, his arms thankful.

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He was warm now, gone from the icy rain that had made Goosebumps cover his body and his body quiver, though he wasn't sure the latter was to be blamed on the rain. There was a large heavy mass on top of him, but he was warm and that was all he cared about for the time being. He let out a sigh of pleasure and turned on his side. It smelled like Ritsuka, that sweet and slightly musky scent that he was already used to. His mind caught up, and he finally realized that he was lying in Ritsuka's bed. The sudden realization made a flood of memories soar through his mind, the kiss being brought to the forefront. He shot up from the bed instantly, his eyes wincing from the light that had entered them. He looked around the room. It reminded him of his own bedroom, there were no posters of pop stars or anime, the wall was bare apart from a few pictures that he couldn't make out. Across from him, a computer was giving off a faint blue light as it hummed quietly.

"Are you alright?" The sudden sound made Mei yelp and knock his head against the hard wall behind him. Sudden pain rushed to the inflicted area and he immediately grabbed it, trying fruitlessly to make it go away.

"Mei!" He knew the voice, it was unmistakably Ritsuka's, but he didn't look toward the sound. He closed his eyes and bent his head down, already feeling the tears forming.

There was silence for a moment; he couldn't hear anything, not even the gentle hum of the computer. Mei knew it was coming; it was inevitable no matter how hard he tried to keep it in. He strained himself as he felt it crawl up his throat, he gripped the bed sheets below him, anything that could stop it.

But it came. The loud sob escaped his throat and the tears streamed down even faster now. What would Ritsuka think of him now? Crying over a little bump of the head. The thought made two more loud sobs slip through his lips.

He felt himself being pulled from the bed, lifted from the warm confines of the bed. His body was propelled forward and he was gently placed on the taller boy's lap. Mei tried to lift his head up to look questioningly at him, but a strong hand was placed on the back of his head, softly rubbing the wound.

He had stopped crying, but Mei wrapped his arms around the boy in front of him. He had spent so many nights alone, staying in his house and lying sleeplessly in his bed, or going out into the dangerous night and walking nowhere. But now Ritsuka held him, his mind bathed in the fact that he didn't have to be alone anymore, he had someone who cared about him now.

"Ritsuka…" He whimpered the simple word as the familiar scent entered his nostrils. There was no response from the other boy; he just continued to pet his head, making Mei shiver in pleasure. He loved this feeling, the feeling that he was worth something, he mattered to someone.

The hands left his head to grasp his shoulders and push him back onto the bed.

"Are you alright?" Ritsuka placed the back of his hand against Mei's even before he heard Mei's response.

"I…I think so." Mei's mind was still foggy, but he didn't feel sick.

"I think you're ok…" Ritsuka reached under his shirt, an action that immediately made Mei's eyes open wide and his face turn red. The boy above him smirked and let out a small chuckle.

"Just checking your heartbeat" Ritsuka placed his hand on his chest and smirked again "Going pretty fast."

The blue-haired boy's face turned a darker shade of red and tried to slow his throbbing heart, but Ritsuka's hand left it a few seconds later.

"Can I?" He asked in a husky voice, lowering his head. Mei wasn't sure what exactly the other boy was requesting, but at that point he really didn't care and he gently nodded his head.

His body was enveloped in fire as Ritsuka leaned down to press his lips against his own. It was soft and gentle, yet it seemed to make his heart jump out of his chest. The taste was pure this time, there was no cold rainwater to delude it. Mei tried to return this kiss, but his body seemed to lie still. Ritsuka had complete control of him now, he couldn't move or even think while the slight moisture was still on his lips.

After a few moments he felt the lips leave his and Ritsuka lifted himself up from the bed. He glided his fingers against Mei's face, moving a few stray hairs from his eyes.

"Go to sleep" he whispered "It's almost midnight."

"I…" he hadn't even thought to check the time "I've got to get home then…"

"It's still raining and I'm not going to take my chances after what happened." Ritsuka walked toward his own bedroom door. "Go to sleep, you can go home before school." He turned off the light and grasped the doorknob to close the door.

"Wait!" Mei sat up from the bed once again "Where…where are you going?"

Ritsuka's fingers returned to the light switch and the room was enveloped in orange again. He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"I mean…" Mei stuttered "This is your room right? I can't just…"

"Don't worry about me, you need to get better for school tomorrow. I can't be stuck with Yuko all by myself." He smiled at him, knowing that phrase would him feel better.

"But…" Mei couldn't help but smile slightly at the latter statement "Where are you gonna sleep?"

"I'll manage."

"Ritsuka…I couldn't…"

"Would you rather me sleep there with you?" Ritsuka smirked and leaned against the doorway.

"I uh…" Mei blushed and stumbled over his words "I mean that would be…" His mind fought with his heart, should he say it? "…ok." The final word escaped his mouth and he almost covered his mouth with his hands as soon as his ears heard it.

"Well…" Ritsuka's smile widened and he closed his bedroom door. "In that case…" he again walked over to the bed. "…which side do you want?"

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Ritsuka tried to make sense of the situation he was placed in. Here he was with the boy that had made his cold exterior break and his heart open. A boy that he had kissed more than once in the same day, a boy that he was quite sure he was in love with, though he really wasn't sure how one felt when they were in love, a boy that was now presenting him with the option of sleeping in the same bed with him.

He uncovered the sheets on the other side of the bed and sat down, seeing the blushing boy on the other end dart his eyes. Ritsuka brought his feet under the covers and let his head fall back onto the pillow beneath him. There was no movement or sound, and Ritsuka wasn't quite sure what to do.

"Good night, Mei." It seemed to be the most appropriate thing to say in order to break the tension that was filling the air.

"G…good night, Ritsuka" He loved that nervousness in Mei's voice, he was so fragile, yet Ritsuka knew exactly how to handle him. He reached his hand over to gently scratch Mei's ears, an action that caused a pleasant sigh to escape from his mouth.

He felt the bed move slightly, and suddenly he felt Mei's head on his chest, his arms reaching to wrap around his upper torso.

Ritsuka smiled inwardly and placed his arms tightly around the boy in front of him, kissing the bushel of hair that was now in front of him.

"I love you, Mei" The words felt natural, he hadn't even thought about saying them, the words had come straight from his heart.

"I…love you, Ritsuka." The taller boy smiled to himself, thinking what Hitomi would say if she had seen them like this.

A/N: Gwa, I tried to make this chapter cute, but I'm not sure if I pulled it off so well! I was going to have Ritsuka say 'Let's lose our ears' in a joking manner, but I figured that was a bit too perverse for someone so young to say, ha!

Anyways, next chapter is the final one! I hope you've enjoyed the story.

Next fanfic will be a bit more serious. It'll be a Jigoku Shoujo one, so I hope you'll check it out whenever I get around to finishing it. Oh, and that will just be one chapter.

Anyways, as always, please read and review!


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